The Nature and Origin of the Rare Earth Element Mineralization in the Misery Syenitic Intrusion, Northern Quebec, Canada

Petrella, Laura; Williams‐Jones, Anthony E.; Goutier, Jean; Walsh, J. N.

doi:10.2113/econgeo.109.6.1643

Cited by 31 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…Observations from natural rocks confirm the apatite-britholite miscibility gap forming during late stages of igneous activity below ca. 600 8C (Pekov et al 2007, Macdonald et al 2013, Uher et al 2015, Zozulya et al 2017, whereas the gap is not as clear at higher temperatures (Petrella et al 2014). We thus suggest that the fluorapatite-britholite symplectites formed at or below 600 8C (Fig.…”

Section: Symplectite Formationmentioning

confidence: 70%

REE Redistribution Textures in Altered Fluorapatite: Symplectites, Veins, and Phosphate-Silicate-Carbonate Assemblages from the Nolans Bore P-REE-Th Deposit, Northern Territory, Australia

Anenburg

Burnham

Mavrogenes

2018

The Canadian Mineralogist

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The geochemical behavior and genesis of rare earth element (REE) ores remains poorly understood. In addition, the processes responsible for many features observed in REE ore deposits are not easily determined. Importantly, the distinction between igneous versus post-magmatic genesis, or the nature of the mineralizing and modifying fluids or melts, remains in dispute. Nolans Bore is a P-REE-Th deposit in the Northern Territory, Australia, hosting REE mineralization in fluorapatite and its alteration products. These mineralization textures are imaged in 3D by X-ray computed tomography and in 2D by electron microscopy, cathodoluminescence, and X-ray mapping. Primary igneous REE-rich fluorapatite was replaced in two stages. The first, at high temperature, was to endmember fluorapatite-britholite symplectite. The second, at lower temperatures, was to hydrothermal veins and patches comprised of REE-Th phosphate, silicate, and carbonate minerals. Quadrivalent Ce occurs together with Th, suggesting oxidized, low-temperature conditions. Strikingly similar textures are observed at Hoidas Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada, where igneous immiscibility or a pegmatitic boundary layer have been implicated in their formation. Our textural and chemical investigations establish that these symplectites and other similar textures are not primary igneous textures, but formed by subsequent cooling and alteration. Understanding the processes that formed these symplectic and vein textures is key to their theoretical and experimental modeling and should lead to a better understanding of ''hydrothermal'' REE deposits globally. The decoupling of Ce from the rest of the REE and the mineralogical preferences of the light REE versus the heavy REE should be considered when evaluating similar ore deposits for their economic value and mineral processing.

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Section: Symplectite Formationmentioning

confidence: 70%

REE Redistribution Textures in Altered Fluorapatite: Symplectites, Veins, and Phosphate-Silicate-Carbonate Assemblages from the Nolans Bore P-REE-Th Deposit, Northern Territory, Australia

Anenburg

Burnham

Mavrogenes

2018

The Canadian Mineralogist

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“…Apatite is a major REE carrier in silica-rich systems, incorporating REE via the mechanism [Ca 2+ ] −1 [P +5 ] −1 [REE 3+ ][Si 4+ ]61, whereas all REE are incompatible with respect to apatite in a silica-poor system (D REE apatite/melt < 1)62. A study on an REE-rich syenite in Quebec, Canada, showed that HREE will preferentially partition into an immiscible Fe-Si-rich magma relative to the coeval syenite magma63.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Origin of unusual HREE-Mo-rich carbonatites in the Qinling orogen, China

Song

Smith

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

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Carbonatites, usually occurring within intra-continental rift-related settings, have strong light rare earth element (LREE) enrichment; they rarely contain economic heavy REE (HREE). Here, we report the identification of Late Triassic HREE-Mo-rich carbonatites in the northernmost Qinling orogen. The rocks contain abundant primary HREE minerals and molybdenite. Calcite-hosted fluid inclusions, inferred to represent a magmatic-derived aqueous fluid phase, contain significant concentrations of Mo (~17 ppm), reinforcing the inference that these carbonatitic magmas had high Mo concentrations. By contrast, Late Triassic carbonatites in southernmost Qinling have economic LREE concentrations, but are depleted in HREE and Mo. Both of these carbonatite types have low δ26Mg values (−1.89 to −1.07‰), similar to sedimentary carbonates, suggesting a recycled sediment contribution for REE enrichment in their mantle sources. We propose that the carbonatites in the Qinling orogen were formed, at least in part, by the melting of a subducted carbonate-bearing slab, and that 10 Ma younger carbonatite magmas in the northernmost Qinling metasomatized the thickened eclogitic lower crust to produce high levels of HREE and Mo.

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“…The strong enrichment in REE and high-field-strength elements (HFSE) characteristic of alkali granite-syenite complexes and their products can be related to two processes: enrichment through extended fractional crystallization of alkaline magmas and enrichment via late-and postmagmatic processes with the involvement of pegmatitic and hydrothermal fluids [22,[41][42][43][44][45][46][47]. While not crucial, an enriched mantle source of the primary magma should be taken into account.…”

Section: Ree Enrichment Processes In Keivy Alkali Granite-nepheline Smentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Yttrium-rich britholites are typical of granites and their derivatives, whilst the cerium-dominant species occur in nepheline syenites and carbonatites. In addition, in some complex rare-metal deposits related to felsic and intermediate alkaline rocks (Mushugui [14]; Eden Lake [2]; West Keivy [17]; Azovskoe [18]; Rodeo de Los Molles [19,20]; Sakharjok [21]; Misery [22]; Weishan 2 of 23 and Maoniuping [23]; Pilanesberg and Ilimaussaq [24]), britholite is not a traditional ore mineral representing an economically important source of REE.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Britholite Group Minerals from REE-Rich Lithologies of Keivy Alkali Granite—Nepheline Syenite Complex, Kola Peninsula, NW Russia

et al. 2019

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The Keivy alkali granite-nepheline syenite complex, Kola Peninsula, NW Russia, contains numerous associated Zr-REE-Y-Nb occurrences and deposits, formed by a complex sequence of magmatic, late-magmatic, and post-magmatic (including pegmatitic, hydrothermal, and metasomatic) processes. The REE-rich lithologies have abundant (some of economic importance) and diverse britholite group minerals. The REE and actinides distribution in host rocks indicates that the emanating fluids were alkaline, with significant amounts of F and CO2. From chemical studies (REE and F variations) of the britholites the possible fluid compositions in different lithologies are proposed. Fluorbritholite-(Y) and britholite-(Y) from products of alkali granite (mineralized granite, pegmatite, quartzolite) formed under relatively high F activity in fluids with low CO2/H2O ratio. The highest F and moderate CO2 contents are characteristic of fluid from a mineralized nepheline syenite, resulting in crystallization of fluorbritholite-(Ce). Britholite group minerals (mainly fluorcalciobritholite and ‘calciobritholite’) from a nepheline syenite pegmatite formed from a fluid with composition changing from low F and high CO2 to moderate F and CO2. An extremely high F content is revealed for metasomatizing fluids emanating from alkali granitic magma and which affected the basic country rocks. The dominant substitution scheme for Keivy britholites is REE3+ + Si4+ = Ca2+ + P5+, showing the full range of ‘britholite’ and ‘calciobritholite’ compositions up to theoretical apatite.

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The Nature and Origin of the Rare Earth Element Mineralization in the Misery Syenitic Intrusion, Northern Quebec, Canada

Cited by 31 publications

References 55 publications

REE Redistribution Textures in Altered Fluorapatite: Symplectites, Veins, and Phosphate-Silicate-Carbonate Assemblages from the Nolans Bore P-REE-Th Deposit, Northern Territory, Australia

REE Redistribution Textures in Altered Fluorapatite: Symplectites, Veins, and Phosphate-Silicate-Carbonate Assemblages from the Nolans Bore P-REE-Th Deposit, Northern Territory, Australia

Origin of unusual HREE-Mo-rich carbonatites in the Qinling orogen, China

Britholite Group Minerals from REE-Rich Lithologies of Keivy Alkali Granite—Nepheline Syenite Complex, Kola Peninsula, NW Russia

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